1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a locking device in an apparatus for opening and closing the roof of an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a locking device by which a door covering an opening in a roof can be tilted with respect to the opening and both attached and detached through a simple operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Basically, an apparatus for opening and closing the roof of a vehicle includes a bracket fixedly secured to a stationary part of the vehicle structure, a hook provided on the bracket, a handle pivotally mounted on a door received in and covering an opening in the roof, links and a shaft unit secured to the links. The bracket and handle are connected to each other via the links and shaft unit. Various proposals concerning the shaft unit have been made for the purpose of attaching and detaching the door to and from the opening in the roof. One prior-art example thereof is disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 58-32049, in which a pin provided on the shaft unit is fitted in a slot of the bracket hook and held within the slot by a stopper. In order to disengage the pin from the hook, therefore, it is required that a knob for operating the stopper be pressed to shift the stopper from a position facing the pin to a position not facing the pin.
Thus, in accordance with the prior-art device, detaching the door from the roof opening entails the laborious operation of shifting the pin, which is engaged with the hook of the bracket secured to the vehicle structure, in the radial direction from the inside of the hook while operating the knob to retract the stopper and hold the stopper in the retracted state.